Why Chinese military’s latest Taiwan sortie suggests PLA is expanding scope of combat training

The PLA’s largest sortie into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone marked another step forward by the Chinese military because it was the first of its kind on the eastern side of the island, according to military analysts.

That side is the furthest from mainland China and hosts two major airbases that could play a key role in any invasion and are sheltered by the mountain ranges in the centre of the island.